The Hunter

You probably haven't noticed them. But they've noticed you. They notice everything. That's their job. Sitting quietly in a nondescript car outside a bank making note of the tellers' work habits. Lagging a few car lengths behind the Brinks truck on its daily rounds. Surreptitiously jiggling the handle of an unmarked service door at the racetrack. They're heisters.

It was fun. It was different.

It’s about a loner bad guy (totally alpha male) in the bad guy world.

At first I wasn’t sure if I would like this. Parker kills a couple inn..Show More »ocents who happened to be in his way. But I really enjoyed the last third or so when Parker took on the mafia/syndicate. He tells them who he’s going to kill if he doesn’t get his way. And then he does it. The story is a little shorter than most novels. The author is a good storyteller. I like the way he writes.

One thing a little odd were the prices for things. Coffee was 15 cents. This was written in 1962. This is book 1 in the 24 book Parker series.

The Man with the Getaway Face

Parker, the ruthless antihero of Richard Stark's eponymous mystery novels, is one of the most unforgettable characters in hardboiled noir. Lauded by critics for his taut realism, unapologetic amorality, and razor-sharp prose-style, Stark is a master of crime writing, his books as influential as any in the genre. Parker goes under the knife in The Man with the Getaway Face, changing his face to escape the mob and a contract on his life. Along the way he scores his biggest heist yet.

3 ½ stars. There were some good parts.

I like watching what Parker does. I enjoy it because it’s part of an interesting series. It would not be as good as a stand alone story. When I fin..Show More »ish one book, I’m eager to read the next. Parker is a tough very smart bad guy planning and committing crimes with other bad guys.

There are no sex scenes, but there are references to Parker being with whores and slapping them to get them interested.

NARRATOR - John Chancer:I did not like the narrator’s voice for some characters. He used an annoying southern hillbilly voice which did not fit Nebraska people.

This is book 2 in the 24 book series. It’s about 2/3 or less than a typical novel length.

The Outfit

The Outfit was organized crime with a capital O. They were big. They were bad. They were brutal. And no crook ever crossed them and lived to enjoy it. Except Parker. So they wanted Parker dead, and a hit man proved they meant business. Too bad for the Outfit he missed. Ripping off the Outfit was the easy part of Parker's game. Going one-on-one with Bronson, the Outfit's Big Boss, was the hard part.

Book 3 Parker is hunted by the mob

Parker has his straight identity discovered by the mob.Wanting to be left alone, he goes on the offensive disrupting the mobs revenue stream, thi..Show More »s topples the top man from his position, and the new boss makes peace with parker

The Mourner

The heist was a piece of cake. It didn't bother Parker that the priceless statue was in a Russian diplomat's house… because he had no scruples about ripping off a Red. It didn't bother Parker that his ex-girlfriend had blackmailed him into pulling this job… because he figured out how to make an extra fifty grand on the deal. It did bother Parker that somebody else was trying to steal the statue first - because being second wasn't Parker's style. Whether he was up against the mob or the KGB, Parker intended to beat them all at the stealing game. Of course, he didn't count on a double cross....

The Score

It was an impossible crime: knock off an entire North Dakota town called Copper Canyon - clean out the plant payroll, both banks, and all the stores in one night. Parker called it "science fiction," but with the right men (a score of them), he could figure it out to the last detail. It could work. If the men behaved like pros, cool and smart; if they didn't get impatient, start chasing skirts, or decide to take the opportunity to settle secret old scores…they just might pull it off.

The Jugger

Not many men knew what Parker did for a living, because what he did was steal. But Joe Sheer, a retired safecracker knew. He knew Parker's alias, his whereabouts, his plans... and because he knew too much, he knew to keep his mouth shut. Or die. But Joe was more than ready to trade what he knew for what every man needs - his freedom. So Parker had come to Nebraska to find the old jugger... and probably murder him. But what Parker found was trouble: Joe was already six feet under.

Typical Parker with Poorly Chosen Reader

It's a typical, violent Parker novel. If you like them, you won't be starting here. The reader, however, sounds like he's never even walked the same s..Show More »treet as a Parker. Ever.

He does some of the voices well: a policeman, women, an acquaintance early on. But he doesn't attempt to do a voice for Parker and his narrative voice doesn't suit the material - some other material maybe, but not this.

The Seventh

The robbery was a piece of cake. The getaway was clean. And seven men were safely holed up in different places while Parker held all the cash. But somehow the sweet heist of a college football game turns sour, Parker's woman is murdered, and the take is stolen. Now Parker's looking for the lowlife who did him dirty, while the cops are looking for seven clever thieves - and Parker must outrun them all. When hunters and hunted meet, some win, some lose….

Another great Parker novel!

I dont know if there are any crappy Parker novels. Stark had this down to a science. Never boring, never drawn out. Just beautifully delivered stacca..Show More »tto story.

The Handle

Baron is clever - perhaps too clever. He sits on the heavily protected island of Cockaigne, a mini-Las Vegas forty miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, raking in as much as $250,000 some nights, laughing at the Outfit, who can’t collect their cut. Now the Outfit can no longer stand the loss of face - not to mention the loss of revenue. That’s why they’ve sent for Parker, who knows that the line between success and failure on this score would be exactly the length of the barrel of a .38.

The Rare Coin Score

When it comes to heists, Parker believes in some cardinal rules. On this job, he breaks two of them: never bring a dame along - especially not one you like - and never, ever, work with amateurs. Nevertheless, with the help of a creep named Billy, and the lure of a classy widow, he agrees to set up a heist of a coin convention. But Billy’s a rookie with no idea how to pull off a score, and the lady soon becomes a major distraction. The Rare Coin Score marks the first appearance of Claire, who will steal Parker’s heister’s heart - while together they steal two million dollars’ worth of coins.

3 ½ stars. Engaging.

Some slightly different characters this time.

Needy childlike Billy loves Claire the widow who sees Billy with contempt. This book was sligh..Show More »tly above average but still worth reading because the series is great. I don’t want to stop reading them.

The Forward by Luc Sante was insightful. A few of his comments follow, edited for brevity. “When I read my first Parker novel, I was stunned. I imagined that I had stumbled upon a particularly brilliant specimen of a thriving genre. But I was wrong. There is no such genre... Stark said that he meant the books to be about a workman at work. Process and mechanics and troubleshooting dominate the books. Stark portrays a world of total amorality. It is never suggested in the novels that robbing payrolls or shooting people who present liabilities are anything more than business practices... As brilliant as Parker is as a strategist, he is nothing short of phenomenal at instantly grasping character. This means that he sometimes sounds more like a fictional detective than a crook. In order to decide which path the double crosser he is pursuing is most likely to have taken, or which member of the string is most likely to double cross, or the odds on a reasonable sounding job that has just been proposed to him by someone with shaky credentials, he has to get all the way under the skin of the party in question.”

The narrator John Chancer was good. I liked his voice for Parker.

THE SERIES:This is book 9 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.

The Green Eagle Score: A Parker Novel

Here’s Parker—planning to steal the entire payroll of an Air Force base in upstate New York, with help from Marty Fusco, fresh out of the pen, and a smart-aleck finance clerk named Devers. Holed up with family in a scrappy little town, the hoisters prepare for the risky job by trying to shorten the odds. But the ice is thinner than Parker likes to think—and Marty’s ex-wife is much more complicated.

Solid Parker story

A good heist story with a little intrigue thrown in to spice things up. The ending felt a little rushed, but believable given the characters' story a..Show More »rcs.

The Black Ice Score: A Parker Novel

The good guys in a new African nation were missing a treasury full of diamonds. The nation's corrupt leader had stashed the rocks somewhere in New York City. Now the good guys needed a specialist to get their diamonds back. So they came to the best in the business: Parker. Only the three mysterious tough guys came to Parker, too. They figured three hands filled with .38s could convince him to pass up this international gem game. But leaning on Parker was like pressuring a box of TNT with a short fuse.

Nasty, brutish, and short...

This fast-paced, no-nonsense noir from master Donald Westlake (writing as Richard Stark) starts tense, adds twists, and doesn't seem to waste a single..Show More » word as Parker is hired to plan a jewelry heist...while learning other criminals also want the diamonds. As Parker says, "You can plan a job, but you can't plan for people." Taut, smart, and wholly unsentimental, Parker continues to fascinate as one of crime fiction's most interestingly focused and professional anti heroes. Not a bad Parker novel to start with, if you're curious.

The Sour Lemon Score: A Parker Novel

Bank robberies should run like clockwork, right? If your name's Parker, you expect nothing less. Until, that is, one of your partners gets too greedy for his own good. The four-way split following a job leaves too small a take for George Uhl, who begins to pick off his fellow hoisters, one by one. The first mistake? That he doesn't begin things by putting a bullet in Parker. That means he won't get the chance to make a second. One of the darkest novels in the series, this caper proves the adage that no one crosses Parker and lives.

One of the better Parker novels

The Sour Lemon Score breaks the usual Parker formula of Parker gets a job, Parker plans a heist, Parker completes the heist despite complications. In..Show More » this novel, more akin to the original story in the Hunter, Parker has to deal with the fallout of a job gone bad from the outset of the novel. It excels in that Parker faces real adversity in the form of difficult circumstances and a formidable new enemy. It also rings true in its characterizations, showing Parker's cold rationalism's limitations and a more brutal side to crime than the clean capers Parker usually undertakes. Parker fans will not be disappointed.

Deadly Edge: A Parker Novel, Book 13

Deadly Edge bids a brutal adieu to the 1960s as Parker robs a rock concert, and the heist goes south. Soon Parker finds himself - and his woman, Claire - menaced by a pair of sadistic, drug-crazed hippies. Parker has a score to settle while Claire’s armed with her first rifle - and they’re both ready to usher in the end of the Age of Aquarius.

4 ½ stars. Good suspense. Exciting.

The beginning was a little slow, but the last half was excellent.

Parker is not a caring type of guy. But I liked the subtle way he acted fo..Show More »r Claire’s benefit. Her home was important to her. Parker went out of his way to make sure murders would be found far enough away, so they would not taint her town.

I chuckled at Claire’s thought process when buying a rifle. She bought based on things other than purpose.

This story was a little different from earlier Parker stories. After a robbery, two psycopaths who are not part of the robbery hunt, torture, and kill each member of the robbery gang. It was good suspense watching them go after Claire and Parker and then watching Parker go after them.

I liked the Forward by Charles Ardai. It appears in both books 13 and 14.

This was the best narrator so far - Keith Szarabjka. His gravely low voice for Parker fit well.

THE SERIES:This is book 13 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.

Slayground: A Parker Novel, Book 14

The hunter becomes prey, as a heist goes sour and Parker finds himself trapped in a shuttered amusement park, besieged by a bevy of local mobsters. There are no exits from Fun Island. Outnumbered and outgunned, Parker can’t afford a single miscalculation. He’s low on bullets - but, as anyone who’s crossed his path knows, that definitely doesn’t mean he’s defenseless.

Wow!!!!! I was surprised and so impressed

with what Parker did to outsmart these guys. It’s scary and suspenseful.

A normal person would be helpless, but not Parker. I read a lot, a..Show More »nd I think I’m hard to surprise, but this one did it. This book is a great example showing how Parker is a brilliant strategist with keen insight into others.

I usually don’t like “first person” stories. This is an example of how rich a story can be when you don’t use first person, because you get inside others’ heads. This was great because we were in the heads of Parker and various bad guys. The characters were richly developed and intriguing. I loved how Parker decided which guy to use or kill first.

This is book 14 and has a complete ending. But book 16 (Butcher’s Moon) continues the story with Parker visiting the same mobsters two years later.

STORY BRIEF:This book starts after a robbery with the getaway car crashing. All the guys are unconscious except Parker. Sirens are on the way, so Parker leaves with the money. He climbs the gate of a nearby amusement park which is closed for the winter. Some local mob guys see him do this. They tell the cops that Parker drove away with the money. Then they enter the park with a crew intending to kill Parker and take the money. There is no way out but the front gate which they guard.

NARRATOR & FORWARD:The narrator Joe Barrett was good, better than Stephen R. Thorne, but not as good as Keith Szarabjka.

I liked the Forward by Charles Ardai. It appears in both books 13 and 14.

THE SERIES:This is book 14 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.

Plunder Squad: A Parker Novel, Book 15

When a job looks like amateur hour, Parker walks away. But even a squad of seasoned professionals can’t guarantee against human error in a high-risk scam. Can an art dealer with issues unload a truck of paintings with Parker’s aid? Or will the heist end up too much of a human interest story, as luck runs out before Parker can get in on the score?

Classic Parker

I never knew one that was easy. Parker survives again. You knew he would. One of the best Parkers, and that's high praise.

Butcher's Moon: A Parker Novel, Book 16

The 16th Parker novel, Butcher’s Moon, is more than twice as long most of the master heister’s adventures, and absolutely jammed with the action, violence, and nerve-jangling tension listeners have come to expect. Back in the corrupt town where he lost his money, and nearly his life, in Slayground, Parker assembles a stunning cast of characters from throughout his career for one gigantic, blowout job: starting - and finishing - a gang war. It feels like the Parker novel to end all Parker novels, and for nearly 25 years, that’s what it was.

Great suspense. Great read.

A lot of killing. I was smiling a lot at the end.

This is one of the best Parker books. It’s better if you read Slayground before this. Th..Show More »is continues that story. This is sooo good. Great revenge! Parker takes on a local mob. They are no match for Parker. They are like children next to him.

I was intrigued with a comment in the Forward by Lawrence Block. When Stark was writing the first Parker novel, Block asked Stark if he knew where the story was going. Stark said “Sort of. I’ll just keep writing and see where it goes.” That reminded me of Stephen King. King said something like he never knows his plot or ending in advance. He just starts with an inspiration. I think that’s a great way to write. Stark is doing the same.

The narrator Joe Barrett was pretty good, but I did not like his voice for Parker. It sounded too normal-guy-like. I prefer Keith Szarabajka.

THE SERIES:This is book 16 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.

Comeback: A Parker Novel

After the bloodbath of Butcher’s Moon, the action-filled blowout Parker adventure, Donald Westlake said, “Richard Stark proved to me that he had a life of his own by simply disappearing. He was gone.” But nothing bad is truly gone forever, and Parker’s as bad as they come. According to Westlake, one day in 1997, “suddenly, he came back from the dead” - and the resulting novel, Comeback, showed that neither Stark nor Parker had lost a single step. Knocking over a highly lucrative religious revival show, Parker reminds us that not all criminals don ski masks.

3 ½ stars. This was ok,

but not as good as some of the others. A few memorable scenes.

The robbery is successful, but there is a double cross and others are trying ..Show More »to get the money. A fun part was when Parker was surrounded by three cops or security guards with guns (can’t remember exactly). Parker grabs a metal desk drawer. He swings it hard, hitting two of the guys, does some other things, and gets away.

The narrator Keith Szarabajka is my favorite narrator for the Parker series. He does a great Parker voice - menacing.

THE SERIES:This is book 17 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.

Backflash: A Parker Novel

Backflash finds Parker checking out the scene on a Hudson River gambling boat. Parker’s no fan of either relaxation or risk, however, so you can be sure he’s playing with house money - and he’s willing to do anything to tilt the odds in his favor. Featuring a great cast of heisters, a striking setting, and a new introduction by Westlake’s close friend and writing partner, Lawrence Block, this classic Parker adventure deserves a place of honor in any crime fan’s library.

This one was good.

It didn’t grab me like some of the others, but it was ok. I still want to read the whole series.

This is about a heist from a riverboat gamb..Show More »ling casino. The plans are a little more intricate than normal, including getting a guy to pretend to be a politician with body guards. A woman pretends to be wheelchair bound. The main suspense is after the heist when other parties make a play for the money. The best part was when a bad cop put Parker in handcuffs. I enjoyed the way Parker got out of that one.

The narrator Keith Szarabajka is my favorite narrator for the Parker series. He does a great Parker voice - menacing.

THE SERIES:This is book 18 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.

Flashfire: Parker, Book 19

Between Parker's 1961 debut and his return in the late 1990s, the world of crime changed considerably. Now fake IDs and credit cards have to be purchased from specialists; increasingly sophisticated policing makes escape and evasion tougher; and, worst of all, money has gone digital - the days of cash-stuffed payroll trucks were long gone. But cash isn't everything, and now Parker's after a fortune in jewels. In Flashfire, Parker's in West Palm Beach, competing with a crew that has an unhealthy love of explosions. When things go sour, Parker finds himself shot and trapped - and forced to rely on a civilian to survive.

This was pretty good.

Not the best Parker, but above average. The ending was very feel good.

This was different in that Parker needed help when he was shot and in..Show More » the hospital. He had to trust and rely on a woman he recently met. I love the way Parker gets revenge on people who cross him which he does here. I liked what Parker did to the bad guys’ hideout home and guns.

I especially liked one line. Parker is describing to Leslie how the bad guys are going to rob a charity auction - coming in or leaving by sea wearing scuba gear. Leslie said “Like James Bond.” Parker said “More like Jaws.” These are really bad guys - not cool like James Bond.

The narrator Mark Peckham was ok, but his voice for Parker didn’t fit. He made Parker sound too normal. I prefer Keith Szarabajka.

THE SERIES:This is book 19 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.

Flashfire: A Parker Novel

In a Midwestern city, Parker calmly tosses a firebomb through a plate-glass window, while some newfound partners in crime take down a nearby bank. Making their getaway in the confusion, the bank robbers tell him two things: that this heist was only seed money for a much gaudier one, and that Parker has to loan them his share of the take.

Entertaining and Well-Written

Good pacing, well written and entertianing. Many unabridged audiobooks seem to plod along and have much unneeded and uninteresting descrptive, this bo..Show More »ok is an excellent treat as it has none of those defects. The lead character is interesting and believable and the story which could have been slightly unbelievable in an another authors hands was perfect as written by Stark. All-in-all an excellent use of one credit!

Firebreak

For Parker, the amoral super-thief extraordinaire, it will be an excellent haul. The fact that the lead came from his old partners in crime, Elkins and Wiss, is no impediment to his joining their team and going for the score. The goods are a bunch of paintings by Old Masters kept out of sight in a dot-com billionaire's Montana lodge for his personal delight.

Old School Crime Time

This is old school noir with lots of modern touches (Russian hitmen, internet etc). For fans who like tough pulp fiction type books with an emphasis ..Show More »on information on the criminal world, crime planning and serious action. Plenty of twists and surprises along the way make it a fun read. By the way the reader was perfect for this kind of book -smooth.

Firebreak: A Parker Novel, Book 20

Between Parker’s 1961 debut and his return in the late 1990s, the world of crime changed considerably. Now fake IDs and credit cards had to be purchased from specialists; increasingly sophisticated policing made escape and evasion tougher; and, worst of all, money had gone digital - the days of cash-stuffed payroll trucks were long gone. Firebreak takes Parker to a palatial Montana "hunting lodge" where a dot-com millionaire hides a gallery of stolen old masters - which will fetch Parker a pretty penny if his team can just get it past the mansion’s tight security.

2 ½ stars. I kept getting distracted.

My mind wandered.

There seemed to be more characters than normal in this book. Toward the end I was confused about some of them. Maybe beca..Show More »use a lot was going on in my personal life. Or maybe the book wasn’t as good as others in the series.

There are two stories. The better story is about a hit man after Parker. It’s a continuation with Paul and Max who Parker met in Bk 12 “The Sour Lemon Score.” I loved the scene where Parker gets to them. It reminded me of feelings of fear in the movie “Jaws.”

The second story is about stealing art from a hunting lodge in Montana. An interesting part of that story was Parker interacting with a young-computer-hacker-genius. But the rest of the story about the heist was muddled. It might be better read than listened to. Not sure.

I was disappointed that the 2011 Forward by Terry Teachout was in the physical book but not in this audiobook. I’ve enjoyed all the forwards in this series.

The narrator Stephen R. Thorne was good, but I wish he had a rougher, darker, more menacing voice for Parker. His Parker voice was too clean cut and normal sounding.

THE SERIES:This is book 20 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.

Sometimes a book goes temporarily out of print - and sometimes no audio version has ever been recorded. Audible wants to give you the most complete selection we can and we'll keep adding series and filling in gaps as quickly as possible.

Sometimes a book goes temporarily out of print - and sometimes no audio version has ever been recorded. Audible wants to give you the most complete selection we can and we'll keep adding series and filling in gaps as quickly as possible.

Ask the Parrot

Racing through the backwoods of Massachusetts and on the verge of being taken down for one of the biggest and most disastrous bank heists the state has ever seen, Parker runs right into the barrel of a gun pointed from the "wrong" side of the law. A quiet but angry recluse - with only a silent parrot for company - saves Parker from the police dogs, but enmeshes him in a dubious, highly dangerous, but potentially profitable scheme.

Ask the Parrot

Racing through the backwoods of Massachusetts and on the verge of being taken down for one of the biggest and most disastrous bank heists the state has ever seen, Parker runs right into the barrel of a gun pointed from the wrong side of the law. A quiet and angry recluse with only a silent parrot for company in his seclusion, Tom Lindahl saves Parker from the police dogs, but enmeshes him in yet another in a long line of dubious, highly dangerous, but seriously profitable jobs.

Ok. Not as good as some of the others,

but I still enjoy reading Parker.

Parker is in the woods fleeing after a robbery. A local guy Tom sees Parker and realizes he’s one of the r..Show More »obbers. Tom wants Parker to help him rob a racetrack. Tom introduces Parker to other locals telling them Parker is a friend visiting. Parker joins the locals as they hunt for Parker. It’s pretty good watching Parker interact with various local people.

Minor complaint. A security guard sees car lights at an unusual time. He goes to investigate, but the author did not tell what happened as he investigated. (Or maybe I missed it.)

The narrator William Dufris was ok, but not good for this series. He made Parker sound too ordinary.

THE SERIES:This is book 23 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.

Dirty Money

Master criminal Parker takes another turn for the worse as he tries to recover loot from a heist gone terribly wrong. Parker and two cohorts stole the assets of a bank in transit, but the police heat was so great they could only escape if they left the money behind. Now Parker and his associates plot to reclaim the loot, which they hid in the choir loft of an unused country church.

2 ½ stars. It was hard to stay interested.

My mind wandered. The ending was good for Parker but abrupt.

Prior to this book three guys rob an armored car and hide the money in a church..Show More ». That story is told in “Nobody Runs Forever” Bk #22. I did not read that book but others say it’s important to this story. The guys can’t spend the money because the serial numbers are known. This story is about how to get the money out of the church and launder it. The authorities have roadblocks and pictures of the guys. Parker is one of the guys. Others find out about the money and try for it.

I was surprised with who Parker contacted to solve the money problem. It’s important to read Firebreak before this book to appreciate this part.

The narrator Stephen R. Thorne was good, but I wish he had a rougher, darker, more menacing voice for Parker. His Parker voice was too clean cut and normal sounding.

THE SERIES:This is book 24 in the 24 book series. These stories are about bad guys. They rob. They kill. They’re smart. Most don’t go to jail. Parker is the main bad guy, a brilliant strategist. He partners with different guys for different jobs in each book.

If you are new to the series, I suggest reading the first three and then choose among the rest. A few should be read in order since characters continue in a sequel fashion. Those are listed below (with my star ratings). The rest can be read as stand alones.

The first three books in order: 4 stars. The Hunter (Point Blank movie with Lee Marvin 1967) (Payback movie with Mel Gibson)3 ½ stars. The Man with the Getaway Face (The Steel Hit)4 stars. The Outfit.